Let my Blood flow Within You
by Jean Marie Darkholme
Summary: "I was cursed to roam this earth as a bloodthirsty beast for all eternity until I am reunited with the love that I once lost. Anna, you are the one I seek and I swear to you that I will not allow another man to take you. Even if he has the devil's eyes."
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: **This is a revision of the story I wrote called, "A Vampire Desire".**

**Again, I do not own the characters even **_**Dracula. **_

**Okay, here's the deal: I want Dracula to be an Ancient, meaning **_**really old. **_**Like **_**Bronze Age **_**old ****so no complaining ****and I might be altering some history here so please bear with me. If you still don't get it, let me explain. **

**I want him to be 2000-3000 years old and he won't be ruling Transylvania. **

**Get it now? Besides, he just adopted the name Dracula for reasons that are my own. I will explain in later chapters. For now, just read this and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Let My Blood Flow within You<strong>

She was dreaming the same dream again and it always ended the same way.

It is always about this russet-haired young woman who wore a long silvery white tunic with gold cord around her waist. Rogue can never distinguish what the person looked like because the woman's face was always blurred or hazy. This woman has repeatedly died in her dreams, no matter how much Rogue tried to alter it. She would always see the girl drive the dagger in her chest as bitter sad tears fell from her eyes. Then the girl would bathe in her own blood as the temple is set ablaze. Rogue could not do anything for this girl, she can only cry for her as the fire slowly burned the young woman's body as well as the lavishing temple they were in.

"Rogue, are you okay?" her roommate asks worriedly in a timid tone. She remains silent, pretending to be asleep. She didn't want Kitty to know that she had been crying in her sleep again. This dreams, they mean something but what, She doesn't know. She tried to sift through her borrowed memories, but unfortunately it did not belong to any them. She closes her eyes and takes a hold of her emotion before they overwhelm her. She had relaxed herself before going back to slumber once more while ignoring her worried friend.

People tend to perceive her to be completely naïve, but they are wrong. Kitty has always been quiet perceptive of those around her. It is true she can be very naïve at times, however there are times that she can sense when others around her are troubled. She knew that Rogue had been having nightmares lately, but since her friend has yet to confide to her, she chose to keep it secret and even going as far as pretending to be asleep as Rogue cries herself awake. However, she cannot help but worry about her friend lately. It has been happening for a while now and she can only figure that the dream Rogue's been having is repetitive. Kitty wanted to tell the professor about it, but she knows that it will only anger Rogue. So she chose to keep it to herself and let Rogue decide on her own.

_Next Day..._

As the others rushed to class, Rogue walked languidly behind them. She had the dream again, only this time she heard a faint voice. _"Kassiopeia."_ It said which caused Rogue to awaken abruptly. It was as if she is the one being called by the person. She clutched the strap of her backpack tightly. _'It was only a dream, get a grip!'_ She told herself as she reached the doors of her first class.

Suddenly, the back of her neck felt cold and she shuddered. She turned and looked around. The hallway was empty and silent, yet it felt eerily cold. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and proceeded to enter the classroom.

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><p><em>Elsewhere...<em>

In a crowded cemetery down in Louisiana within one of the locked mausoleums, lies a man inside a marble coffin. You would think he is dead and decaying, however he looks eternally youthful and seemed to be no older than 21. He has black tresses with a tint of blue, eyes are round and has full lashes and skin as pale as the marble that houses him. His visage is so striking that he might as well have been a sleeping statue.

He stirred lightly at the sound of four men whispering. He can hear them clearly, sense the thoughts running through their minds. It excited him. A faint smirk graces his beautiful face as laid still. Suddenly, the chains that held the mausoleum doors were broken and the four men busted down the white oak doors.

He can hear their hearts, their blood rushing through their veins. He can smell their putrid scent as they rummaged through his resting place in search of something. _'How had man lost all his respect for the dead.'_ he bitterly thought. He then hears one of the men speak.

"Julien, are ya sure there is treasure lyin' around here? 'Cause I don't see nothin' but dust and cobwebs."

Then the man whose name is Julien answers in irritation, "Ya, there is! I heard one of 'em thieves were talkin' about breakin' in here to get some jewels."

"Well, I don' see no jewels nor gold, boss. 'sides tis place be givin' me the creeps." One of the men shivers.

"Shut up! And jus' keep lookin!" Julien yelled angrily as they continued on to do so.

"Boss, mebbe its in this here coffin." Another man suggested. "Then start openin' it!"

They all pushed the heavy lid off and jumped back in surprise. They were looking at him, all of them quickly enthralled by his beauty. Yet, at the same time, fearful about who he was and the reason why he was inside. They walked to the edge and peered over to see if the body was made of marble, but before they could do so, he gently opened his red violet eyes and swiftly in a blink of an eye, reached out his hand to grab one of the men by the throat.

The others screamed in terror and quickly backed away from the coffin. He sat up from his bed, still holding the man tightly by the neck then promptly sinking in his teeth at the jugular area. He hungrily drank the man's blood and kept a close eye on the other three. After drinking the last drop of blood, he casually tosses the body aside like an old crumpled paper and stands up from his bed.

"W-who a-a-re ya?" Julien asked as he shakily held his gun in his hands and tried to point it at him. He looks at them with cold eyes and smirks, "Well, I am the owner of this crypt that _you_ are currently desecrating.." He said with an acid yet alluring tone. He looks at the handgun and with a peculiar glow of his eyes, the gun melted in Julien's hold. The man cried out in pain, scaring the two men behind him.

"You don't need to know me, but I know _a lot_ about you." He teased as he stalked towards them. "_Rippers_ eh? Hmm, I'm a ripper too. Although, _a different __**kind**_."

He then rushed forth at them, but they jumped away from him and ran to the door. However, the door was slammed shut by an unknown force, encasing them in darkness. They trembled in fear as they heard nothing but their own heartbeats.

"I guess it is common courtesy for me to introduce myself before I slaughter you." He said in a sinister tone. "I have acquired many names for the past centuries, but I guess I'll be using the name I once used during the Renaissance. My name is Gabriele and it was a pleasure meeting you." The three men screamed in terror as they were killed one by one. Drinking their bloods in haze and ecstasy, but by drinking their bloods, he has learned so many things including what century he currently resides.

After drinking the last drop of Julien's blood, Gabriele piles the four bodies together and with mere wave of his hand, they were burned instantly into dust. "I think it is time I continue on with my search." He muttered ruefully as he concentrated his mind and searched for some of his fledglings. As he listened in to the silent voices around him, a certain voice struck him in his very core. A familiar tune that he once heard many eons ago and thought had disappeared forever, but now had returned. _'She's alive...she came back...just like she had promised..'_ He thought almost playfully as he tried to divulge into this certain person's mind.

However, he was forcefully pushed out.

It surprised and infuriated him that he cannot access their thoughts. It was as if an impenetrable wall had blocked him. Just like the walls of Jericho that once stood against him. He needs to know more about this person, but first he must meet with one of his fledglings.

_"Kassiopeia..._I will find you."

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><p><strong>Now how about that? <strong>

**Okay, let me clear up some confusions: One, he **_**is **_**Dracula**** but with a different nature and history. Two, the "voices" are thoughts he can hear since he is REALLY REALLY REALLY old and well, Ancient...I decided his powers should be amplified. Three, this is a ROMY fic, meaning it may start off with a different guy but in the end ROMY will prevail...or not. Depends on what you guys want. **

**Please read and review. Be nice, will ya? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, you guys reviewed and added my story!**

**Thanks!**

**By the way, I wasn't really planning to change the pairings (snickers) I just want to see what you guys would think about it. **

**Fannut****: Don't worry, it'll be Romy and yes, I know who you were talking about (grins) This Kassiopeia is different from the myth though. I'll reveal more on later chapters who she really is and what is her connection with 'Gabriele' (wink)**

**Willowed Moon:**** No worries, it has been destined to be Romy from the very beginning. But Rogue will still be interacting with this 'dark handsome beast'.**

**Wolf Skater****: Like I said, it'll be Romy so no need to worry.**

**The Last Fallen Angel: I prefer my vampires bloodthirsty and vicious (wink) So yeah, Gabby is one.**

**And thank you to all those who added my story!**

**Here's chapter 2.**

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><p>It was her last class and Rogue was extremely tired. She have been fighting off the fatigue as well as the intrusions she'd been experiencing all day long. She rubs her temples as another one attacks her mind. <em>'Who the hell <em>_**is**__ doing __**this**__?'_ She thought angrily as she struggled to maintain her shields.

_"Kassiopeia..."_

**"chimes clinking"**

_"Kassiopeia..."_

**"Fabric rustling"**

"_Kassiopeia..."_

**"voice chants"**

_"Kassiopeia..."_

**"strong gust of wind"**

_"Kassiopeia...I will find you..."_

**"Soldiers heavily marching"**

_"__**I WILL FIND YOU!**__..."_

Rogue snaps out of her reverie as the school bell rang. The students began to exit out of the room while she quietly followed suit. She was slightly getting unfocused with her step. She blinked a couple of times to clear her vision, but it felt like her world was spinning.

"Rogue?"

She groaned as tried to grab onto the something to keep her balance.

"Rogue, are you alright?" a voice asks her. She tries to clear her vision to see who it was, though it seems she was too lightheaded. Someone was holding her, she then began to feel slightly panicked and tried to push the person away but it was no use.

"L-L-Let go of me..." Rogue mutters weakly as she felt herself lose consciousness.

Kurt, Scott, Kitty and Jean had just met up outside at the parking lot by Scott's and Jean's cars. They were still waiting for the others to come when Amara ran worriedly towards them.

"Guys! There's something wrong with Rogue!" Amara said anxiously as the others ran back inside the school. They followed her and saw Lance carrying Rogue in his arms with Tabitha next to him.

Scott looked irate and was ready to blast him when Jean interjected and said, "Scott, I don't think he meant any harm."

"Yeah, Summers. I saw she was about to faint and caught her before she hit her head on the floor, so get that pole out of your ass." Lance answered defensively as he quickly handed the young girl over to him and walked away.

"What happened? Is she alright?" Jean asked as they all walked hurriedly back to the parking lot.

"I don't know. She was somewhat stumbling in her walk and when I asked her if she was okay, she barely replied so I went to get you guys. I didn't know she fainted." Amara answered anxiously as she carried Rogue's bag.

"We have to get her back to the Institute quickly, the professor might know what's wrong." Scott said as he placed the unconscious girl in his passenger seat. "I'll see you guys at the mansion." He then kisses his girlfriend in the cheek before hopping in the driver seat and driving off. The others followed suit not long after.

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><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

Gabriele wandered around Bourbon Street while still searching for one of his "children". The place is so festive. _'So lively!'_ He exclaimed as he continued passing through the crowd. He stops at a familiar-looking tavern and walks in. The smell of liquor and cigars had hit him and brought back some nostalgic memories. He walks up to the bar, sitting on the bar stool.

"What can I get ya sir?" said the beautiful bartender as she flips her honey blonde hair and flirts with him. He smiles at her antics and grins wolfishly, "Whiskey is just fine, dear." He replies as he winks at her. _'Women of today are completely different...they are more daring._' He thought as the bartender brought him his drink. He took the glass and drunk the whiskey in one gulp.

"Ya must be real thirsty then, mister." The bartender remarked as she gave him another glass of whiskey. "You have no idea, love." He answered darkly as he took a small gulp. He placed the glass down and pondered on the mind he had come across earlier as he searched for his fledglings. _'It was Kassiopeia, I'm sure of it. Yet, she does not seem to recall me and her mind...her mind is built like a fortress. I cannot seem to break through it.'_

"Pardon, monsieur, but that man is asking me to give you this." Said the bartender as she hands him a piece of paper and pointed at a man sitting by the window. He raises his eyebrow then looks at the paper. It was a sketch of Ceasar's emblem during his reign. His eyes widened by a fraction before rushing to the table where the man sat.

"I thought you have forgotten me, my lord." The man remarked as his blue eyes flashed red.

"I could've said the same thing." Gabriele replied slyly. "Tell me, what has become of my "children", Alexei."

"They are not like us, they are more reckless and undisciplined. They are arrogant and think they are indestructible." Aleksey answered repulsively. Gabriele laughs at his fledgling's expression.

"It seems they have yet to meet someone like _me_." Gabriele boasted as his lit up with menace.

"I do not mean any disrespect, my lord. However, why are you awake? Last I saw you, you threatened to rip my heart out if I ever disturb your slumber." Aleksey inquired apprehensively since this man was _far_ older and stronger than he was.

Gabriele lightly scoffs and replies, "A group of miscreants broke into my crypt, trying to find useless trinkets to sell. Do not worry, they won't be any bother. I took care of them and _got a meal out of it_."

He laughs at his own answer while Aleksey just grins nervously. "What are your plans now that you have been awakened?" He asked casually.

"I plan to continue my search..." Gabriele answered as he dazedly stared at the sketch. Aleksey silently understood his mentor's contemplation.

"She's up north, I plan to travel there by tonight." He stated as he took another gulp of his drink.

"Do you need company?" Alek asked as he takes a sip of his liquor. He shook his head no and stands up from his seat. "I will inform you once I found _her._ For now, just stay here and take care of yourself." Gabriele affirmed as he looked and grin half-heartedly at his fledgling. With a blink of an eye, Gabriele was gone.

Scott managed to get to the mansion and carried Rogue all the way to the infirmary.

"Oh my, what happened?" Dr. McCoy asked worriedly as he started to check for her heartbeat and blood pressure.

"Amara said she was stumbling out of her classroom and fainted. Is the professor around?" Scott explained as he stood the side and gave some room for the doctor.

"No, actually he just left with Logan and Ororo to investigate a surge of psychic energy in New Orleans. He said he easily detected it even without Cerebro." Hank answered as he injected the IV in Rogue's arm. "She doesn't seem hurt and her vital signs are okay at the moment. However, she must've fainted due to exhaustion and fatigue, so no need to worry. She'll wake up right before dinner." the doctor assured the young man.

"But what abou-" "I'll tell the professor what happened once he and the others comes back." Hank added as he placed a blanket on top of the sleeping girl. Scott nodded and left the infirmary to inform the others.

After checking her medical stats, Hank left the room momentarily. A sudden cold chill wafted in which caused her to pull the blanket closer to her. Her forehead furrowed together as she began to hear some strange sounds of tinkling chimes and a faint chanting.

Sudden flashes came into her mind, yet she cannot distinguish any of it because of the haziness. She can only see glimpses of certain objects like an alabaster altar, an array of candles and a golden idol before the altar. Rogue tried to clear her mind, but the images kept assaulting her. Panic slowly crept up to her as she found herself unable to awaken herself. She was twisting and turning in her bed and finally, she screamed.

**Cliffhanger.**

**Author's Notes**

**Gambit will appear in the next chapter, so be patient! I am still thinking of a way to introduce Gambit here without making him look like he just jumped out of the page. **

**Gabriele is capable of walking around in daylight since he's Old while Aleksey need a certain stone to do that. AND NO! It is not a Lapis. Its a different one!**

**If you have any ideas as to HOW GAMBIT SHOULD BE INTRODUCED then please give me some. I would much appreciate it although not all suggestions might be taken. **

**Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am on a roll here!**

**Anyway, thank you for adding and reviewing my story (smiles)! You made me really happy and inspired to keep going. **

**I would like to give a special thanks to ****Fannut**** for asking "The Question" (don't be afraid to asks questions, I will try to give my answer as best as I can.) This story happens after "Self Possessed", but it doesn't flow with the EVO timeline. So to all of you who were curious, this is the answer you were looking for. **

_** What I meant is, Rogue doesn't go 'vampire" (pun intended) on all of them and Apocalypse doesn't awaken from his slumber.**_

**Also, I am slightly confused as to which conqueror existed first between Caesar and Alexander the great. If anyone can answer that, I'll be really thankful.**

**Wolf Skater:**** Your suggestion will be considered for the next NEXT chapter! Gabby and Remy will surely meet (wink)! Thanks for the suggestion!**

**The Last Fallen Angel: **** Your name reminds me of Gabriele (giggles) Anyway, ain't day walking Ancients great (grins) I wanted our mysteriously Old vampire to be 'special' in a certain way. Besides, I'll explain how he can walk out in sunlight without getting burned.**

**Sugary-Sweet-Lemon-spy: ****Your idea is also taken into consideration, but with a little mix-up. Thank you for suggesting though!**

**Thanks Again for Reading and giving my story a chance! **

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><p>She screamed as Hank and the others rushed into the infirmary. She looked frantic and was hyperventilating. Kurt ran to her side and hugged her tightly, trying to console his sister while Hank grabs the syringe from the table beside her and injected sedatives to her IV. Rogue calms down and Kurt slowly places her back to bed.<p>

"Dr. McCoy, I thought you said Rogue was fine..." Scott questioned warily as he looked at her sleeping peacefully in Kurt's arms.

"She is, Scott. However, I don't know what caused her to act this way." Hank sighed as he shook his head. "We should leave her be for now, I gave her some sedative to keep her calm."

"But what if it happens again?" Jean asked restlessly as she gave a quick glance at Kurt who is now sitting beside her bed. "I may not be as strong as the professor, but even I can sense something is plaguing her mind. I'm just not sure what it is or whose doing it."

"Don't worry, I contacted the Professor earlier and he said they won't stay too long down in the South." Hank assured them, but it didn't ease their worries. "Alright, if it'll make you all feel better. Kurt can stay behind to look after his sister while I go to my lab for a while. The rest of you should all do your homework."

Scott and Jean nodded and walked upstairs while Kitty stayed behind. "Kitty, aren't you going to do your homework?" Hank asked the young girl who looked guilt-ridden.

"Like in a moment, Mr. McCoy. I just need to stay here a little while longer." Kitty answered as she gave a small smile at the doctor and walked up to Kurt, who was still holding his sister's hand.

"First, her psyches _tried_ to take over, almost driving her to insanity. Now, she can't even sleep without having a nightmare. What's happening to my sister?" Kurt said in a pained voice as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"I don't know, Kurt. But I know that Rogue won't give up without a fight. Whoever is doing this, may it be the psyches or some telepath, they will never win because Rogue is strong. She always fights back..." Kitty said receptively as she wiped some of his tears away. "She'll tell us what's wrong once she's awake." Kurt nodded in agreement as they sat their in silence.

The blackbird landed in an undisclosed area just outside of New Orleans. "Are you sure you'll be alright, Chuck?" Logan asked as he and Ororo were about to exit the jet.

"Of course, my friend. I may not be able to induce physical pain, though I can still hurt them with my telepathy." Charles replied as he placed the portable Cerebro on his head.

"Fine. Just scream in your head when you need us." Logan sighed as he shook his head and walked out. "Don't worry, Professor. I had the Blackbird set in "Defense mode" and it'll automatically use the cloaking mechanism to keep out intruders." Ororo assured as she too followed suit.

Logan and Ororo drove through the city. _**"The energy seemed scattered all over the place. I suggest you two head towards a bar called, 'Sinners'."**_ Charles instructed as they stopped at the corner of Bourbon Street and began walking.

"I still don't understand why we have to look for some telepath..."Logan grunted as they passed through some tourists.

"Charles sensed intense malice coming from whoever was discharging those psychic waves. We're here to make sure that it wasn't Mastermind causing trouble." Ororo answered as she followed him.

"Ro, I think I found that bar Chuck was talking about." Logan said as he pointed at the old-looking tavern. They both entered the bar and walked up to the bartender.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked as she smiled warmly at them.

"One cold beer." Logan answered gruffly which caused Ororo to hit punch him in the arm and said, "We are not here to drink, Logan."

"Well, we're already in a bar! Might as well take advantage of it." Logan grumbled as he sat down on one of the stools. _**"Logan, please focus! I promise to give you a day-off after this..."**_ Charles sighed telepathically.

"Whatever." Logan muttered just as the bartender gave him his cold beer. Ororo stood next to him and glanced around the bar. Her gaze falls on a young man sitting alone by the window. He had platinum blonde hair, light blue eyes and pale skin. She narrowed her gaze at him and was unexpectedly surprised when he looked up at her. He smiled at her and tipped his head.

"Hey 'Ro, I don't think what we're looking for is here." Logan stated as he placed the bottle down on the counter. "You're right.." Ororo answered offhandedly as she broke her gaze from the young man.

"Are you alright?" Logan asked as he raised his eyebrow at her. She nodded dismissively, though still out of it. "I'm sorry, I was just...distracted." She replied.

"O..kay then. Let's head on back to the Blackbird." Logan said slightly worried as he left a twenty on the counter and left the bar with Ororo next to him.

As the two adults walked through the crowded streets, a young man accidentally collides with Ororo. " S'il vous plait, Madame." The young man apologizes and starts running away. Not long after a group of men followed suit.

"We're going to follow that boy aren't we?" Logan grumbled as he rolled his eyes and ran after Storm who was already following them. They cornered the young man at an empty alleyway and were ready to beat him up.

"Enough!" Storm said angrily as dark clouds began to form above all of them. The wind blew violently and knocked the men right off their feet. When they refused to run off, Storm summoned a lightning bolt and struck the dumpster nearby. This caused the men to disperse easily. Logan managed to catch up to her just as the last man run off.

"I thought _I_ wasn't allowed to cause a _**scene**_!" Logan muttered exasperatedly as he crossed his arms and stood in front of the boy before he could even run off.

"Thanks for de help, lady, but ya didn't have ta do that though. I could've taken care of ma'self." The boy grunted as he walked up to Ororo.

"You took my friend's wallet, I had to get it back." Ororo answered coldly as she held out her hand and the boy returned the item while Logan growled angrily at the boy for stealing his wallet. The boy faintly flinched at the sound and inched away from the furious man.

" 'M sorry about that, monsieur.' The boy apologized as he stared down bashfully.

"What's your name son?" Ororo asked as she handed Logan his wallet.

"Etienne Lebeau, mademoiselle." Etienne answered courteously as he grinned at them. Ororo gave him a small smile while Logan just rolled his eyes at him.

"Lebeau, huh? Do you mind taking me to the Thieves Guild? I want to speak with Jean-Luc." Ororo requested.

"How do ya know about de guild?" Etienne inquired warily. "I met the guild master from before." Ororo responded. Meanwhile, Logan was completely confused about the whole situation.

_**"Professor, do you mind if we make a brief stop somewhere?"**_ Ororo inquired telepathically. _**"No, you can go meet whomever you have to, but we must go back quickly. Hank just called earlier and told me that Rogue had a mental breakdown." **_Charles replied back.

_**"Will do, professor. It won't take long..."**_ Ororo assured as they followed Etienne back to the Thieves' Hall.

"Why are we following the kid, Ro?" Logan asked as they were walking back to pick up the car they parked. "The head of the Thieves' Guild must know something about what's been happening around here."

After driving through the city, they stopped in front of two iron gilded gates. "Hey Theo! Open up! It's me, Etienne!" Etienne hollered at the intercom and the gates were opened. Logan parked the car by the grand garage.

"This way, madam. Oh! Please don' tell my uncle that I got inta trouble." Etienne said shyly as he led the two visitors within the manor. They walked up a flight of stairs and stopped at the very end of the hall. He knocked at the door three times before receiving a reply of "Come in."

"My god, is that ya Ororo?" Jean-Luc inquired as he stood up from his desk and walked up to the white-haired mutant and gave her a hug. "I didn't recognize ya!"

"It is good to see you too, Jean-Luc." Ororo said as she hugged the man back. Logan stepped back and observed the man apprehensively.

"What can I do for ya? Its been so long since ya ever came ta visit." He said as he sat back down at his desk. "I am sorry for not visiting, but I am busy running a school for mutants now." Ororo said ruefully as she gave the man a sad smile.

"But I am here for a reason. Have you detected any unusual happenings here at New Orleans?" Ororo questioned as she looked at him worriedly.

"No, I'm sorry 'Ro. I haven' heard nor seen anythin' unusual. Why? What's the matter?" He replied warily as she gave a quick glance at Logan.

"Nothing really, just making sure that you and others are safe." Ororo guaranteed as she smiled at the older man. Jean-Luc didn't buy her excuse, but let it slip.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go now. There was an emergency at the Institute and we are needed. I will come back to visit soon. Goodbye, Jean-Luc." Ororo said as she and Logan walked out of the room.

The guild master half-heartedly smiled at her as she and Logan left his office. "Pére, are ya busy?" his son Henri inquired.

"Non, why?" He sighed as he tossed the folder of paper on the side of his desk.

"I heard that Julien and his rippers were killed! One of our thieves followed them to de cemetery. Saw them enter at one of the lavishin' mausoleums and heard dem screamin' for de lives. Though dey never came out." Henri answered unexpectedly. His father, however, sat silently as he contemplated the news.

"Don't be bothered with it, Henri. Jus' forget what ya heard and don' tell no one. 'Tis best if we stay out of it." Jean stated frigidly as his son nodded stiffly and walked out of the office.

He just finished 'acquiring' some important files for Ol' Buckethead, and was now sitting at a quaint coffee shop not far from the base. As he drank his coffee, he noticed one of the Brotherhood boys walk in the coffee shop followed by Magneto's arrogant son.

"So why were the X-geeks crowding around you exactly?" Pietro asked as he stood next to Lance as he bought a small cup of coffee.

"They thought I knocked Rogue out, but in truth, she fainted. I just caught her before she hit the floor." Lance sighed as he paid the cash register with the money he took from Duncan's locker. They exited the shop without noticing Gambit sitting nearby and listening to their conversation.

_'Chere is sick...? She has been actin' odd lately. Maybe I should check her out, see if she's alright...'_ He thought as his brow furrowed in worry. He stood up as gulped down his coffee and walked out of the café. As he walks out, he bumps into a man walking in front of him.

"I'm sorry, monsieur." Remy apologized as he looked at the man he collided with. He felt himself staring at the handsome young man.

Remy is aware of how good-looking **he** is, yet this man before him seemed like one of the statues sculpted by artisans of old. Though, he feels an ominous impression from this man that somewhat incited fear within him. He also did not miss the slight glint in the man's violet eyes as he looked at Remy.

"It's quite, alright. I was not harmed." The man said politely as he continued on to enter the café. Remy just stared awestruck at him before shaking his head clear and carrying on his task. He climbed onto his bike and rode to the institute's direction.

Meanwhile, the man walked up to the counter and ordered his drink. When it was time to pay, he stared straight into the cashier's eyes and said, _"I don't need to pay for my drink._" The cashier nodded as if compelled and handed the man's drink to him.

Gabriele looked around and chose to sit where Remy was just sitting earlier. He picked up the discarded newspaper and began to quietly read while sipping his coffee.

**And there it is!**

**I wrote this while being sick with Bronchitis, so please be nice!**

**Also, if anyone can tell me who are Remy's relatives, please please do so! I barely know some of them and I want to make sure that 'Gabriele' is the only OC. Thank You!**

**Next time, Rogue will wake up and she'll be having a MAJOR identity issues here. Let's just say Gabriele being nearby is sort of affecting her a little (wink) (wink).**

** Alright, Here's a freebie for all of you: Remy's father, Jean-Luc, knows something about _the vampires_ in New Orleans. How much does he know? Well...Just stay tuned and keep reading (wink wink)**

**So please don't forget to review!Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Its Spring Break!**

**Yay!**

**And I just learned that Alexander the Great came before Caesar! So now, our dearly evil vampire will exists during the reign of Alexander the Great!**

**Fannut****: You got sick too? I'm actually getting better, but I hope you're okay. Thanks for reviewing and I was thinking that Remy should have a little interaction with Gabriele. **

**The Last Fallen Angel: ****You mean in this chapter? **_**Maybe...**_** *smirks* Anyway, glad you liked chapter three! Thanks for the review!**

**Wolf Skater: **** Thanks for helping me! I was not sure who's who (smiles) I wanted them to fight too, then I thought 'what would they be fighting about?'. Don't worry, they're going to be at it in later chapters.**

**This chapter is a little gruesome, so for those who can't handle the thought, I am deeply sorry. I am just a humble writer.**

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><p>It was around eight in the evening when the blackbird arrived at the mansion. Charles exited first followed by a very worried Logan. They took the elevator and appeared in the med bay where Rogue was still sleeping soundly.<p>

"What happened?" Charles inquired as he wheeled next to her.

"We don't know, professor." Kitty answered as she and Kurt stepped back. It wasn't long until Storm walked in with Scott and Jean in tow.

Logan growled while Charles frowned. He then placed a hand on Rogue's forehead and closed his eyes to concentrate on the task at hand.

_Charles stood in front of a white marbled temple styled after the ones that are found in Ancient Greece. He slowly approached the temple, drawn by an unknown eerie feeling urging him to do so. Inside the temple was a great hall. The ceiling was supported by an onyx columns and each side stood the statues of deities that were made out of either gold or bronze._

_ He stopped before an altar and was surprised to see a body of a young woman lying on top of the stone slab. His eyes widened in shock as he recognize the young woman on the altar. It was Rogue. However, this girl did not have the signature white streaks that framed her beautiful face, instead it was russet in color and was fanned out on the flat surface. _

_ As he walked up to her, he felt his shoes were getting soaked. So he looked down and saw a puddle of water below the altar from a bronze bowl that was tipped over. However, the water seemed to be mixed with something red. He was surprised to realize that it was blood and jumped out of the small puddle. He then walked up to the body and backed away in horror._

_ Charles is looking at the gaping hole in her chest where the heart was supposed to be. He tried not to throw up from the gruesome image. Suddenly, he felt another presence inside the temple. A malicious aura hiding behind one of the columns. He turned and saw a young man no older than 21 years of age, dressed as a high ranking soldier. Yet, he is completely soaked in blood. Charles can only deduce that this man is the cause of girl's death. He slowly moved away as the young lad walked towards him. _

_ Charles had his hands by his temple, ready to attack only to realize that the young man had no intention of attacking. Instead, the boy stood calmly before the girl's corpse and lightly caressed her lifeless face. Charles noticed the deep pain within the young soldier's eyes, though it vanished quickly and turned cold in an instant. All of a sudden, a sound of an angry mob was heard outside. Charles left them for a second to see what was happening. The mob was led by faction of soldiers and a group of priestesses dressed in white robs. One of the priestesses spoke up and said, "That fiend has desecrated our sacred temple and killed one of our beloved sisters. We must kill it before it destroys us all!"_

_ It roused the crowd in fury and the soldiers readily marched forth, though they refused to enter a place that was cursed by the gods. One of the soldiers suggested that the temple be set ablaze to ensure the death of the beast and cleanse the temple. There were murmurs amongst the crowd, but it was not long until they agreed to the idea. The circle of priestesses knelt down and prayed while the soldiers and some of the men gathered wood and oils to scatter around the temple. Charles felt panicked again and rushed back to the young man's side. He tried to use his power to influence him to leave the temple, yet it seems his power would not work. It surprised Charles deeply so he tried again and met with the same result._

_ Both men felt the heat that was starting to spread all around the temple. Charles tried once more to use his telepathy, but it still did not work. The boy, however, did not seem to be affected by the flames that was beginning to consume the place. "I promise to come back for you, _Kassiopeia."_ He said solemnly before disappearing in a blur which slightly shocked the professor. _

_ Charles turned back to the young woman lying still on the altar. The flames danced gleefully around her as it slowly devour her corpse. He tried to save the body, but a bright light blinded him and pushed him out of Rogue's mind._

Charles abruptly slumped back to his chair as Jean and Storm rushed to his side. Rogue's eyes fluttered open as she sat up and stared blankly at them.

"Rogue, are...you alright?" Kitty inquired carefully touching her arm which jolted the young woman completely awake.

"Where am I? And why does my head hurt?" Rogue asked groggily as she quickly sat up, but then felt slightly lightheaded from the sudden action.

"Easy there, stripes. Charles just probed your mind earlier. That's why you aren't feeling too well right now." Logan answered as he lightly pushed her back down to the cot.

_"Be careful, Kassiopeia. You have spent all day healing the sick, it is best that you rest for a while." _

"Wait, what?" Rogue baffled as she tried to clear her head. The voice was familiar, yet she could not remember where she heard it from.

"Rogue, are you alright? Do you want some aspirin?" Jean inquired as she handed her a small aspirin and a glass of water. Rogue took the medicine and the water, but before she could grasp the glass, it slipped from her hold and fell as another memory assaulted her.

_"Can you heal yourself with your gift?"_ a young man's voice asked,

_ "No, I cannot."_

_ "Why?"_ the boy questioned,

_ "Because it is a gift bestowed to me by my eternal progenitor, so I can help others and not myself. If I ever get sick or hurt, I must rely on others to heal me."_

"Rogue...Rogue...Rogue...Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Storm asked as she shook the young woman out of her reverie. Rogue blinked her eyes and stared perplexedly at them.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest is all... Ya'll can go now, Ah just want ta be alone." She said as she laid back down to the cot, Kurt tried to protest but Logan held him back. He led the boy away along with Kitty whose deeply worried about her friend. Jean, Storm and Scott followed behind along with the professor.

After they all had left, Rogue closed her eyes and fell asleep.

_She heard her mother crying from the courtyard. She ran inside her house, passing every servant that began to crowd around the room where she heard the cries. Her mother was clutching her infant brother's body. She walked slowly up to her mother and touched her head, her mother looked up and tears were streaming down her face. She felt anguished at her mother's grief-stricken form. She glances at her brother's lifeless body and caresses the babe lightly. _'Wake up...'_ she thought as her fingers touched its forehead. _

_ All of a sudden, the child's eyes opened and a loud wail erupted from its mouth. Her brother is alive! Though she is not sure how. Her mother held the child close to her bosom while looking at her with deep astonishment. She glances down to her feet as her mother hands the baby to his nurse. _

_ "Kassiopeia, what did you do?" her mother inquired as she knelt down to her level and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She did not know the answer so she shrugged her shoulders instead. The older woman looked worried and surprised at the same time. Even the servants were wondering how she had done it. _

_ "All I said was 'wake up..'" She mumbled as she played with the braid on her hair. Her mother pulled her close and held her tightly and said, "Thank you, daughter for what you have done. I am truly blessed to have you. You have been favored by the gods, Kassiopeia. This gift of yours is a blessing. Do not abuse it." Her mother released her from the hug and went to fuss over her newly revived brother. _

_ The young child stood silently by the window as she contemplated her mother's words. _'A gift? What gift...? All I said was 'wake up...'_ she thought as her forehead furrowed in frustration. As she was about to turn away, she sees a crow perched by the cypress tree that stood on their courtyard. Her father once told her a tale of how the crow's feathers turned black._

"The son of Zeus, god of music, healing and prophecy cursed the bird's feathers to turn dark as the night sky."

"Why? What did the bird do?"

"Well, the bird was assigned to watch after the princess Coronis and after learning of her treachery, Apollo burned the crow's white feather black in profound rage."

_She even remembers the tale of what had happened to the princess and her son afterwards._

"It is why we honor Apollo every summer solstice, because he is the predecessor of our line. You and I are blessed to have been descended from him and his son, Asclepius."

_She stared at the bird who stared back at her. It did surprise her a little though she shrugged off the feeling. _'It's you...'_ she thought as she walked closer to the window, the warm spring wind blowing gently upon her face. _'Phoebus Apollo...'

_ The crow cawed angrily and loudly in reply. _

Rogue abruptly woke up from her sleep again, only this time it was not about the girl dying. It was like some distant memory she could not recall. She stared at the glass door of the infirmary for a moment, debating whether or not to she call somebody, but decided against it. She swung her legs off the cot and slowly stood up from it. Immediately, her head began to feel woozy, so she held onto the bed's railings for safety.

_Someone caught her by the arm before she completely fell to ground. _

_ "Why are you out here at this time? You should have stayed in your room and rest. You have exhausted your body from healing, come I shall take you back." He scolded as he wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up to him then carried her back to her room. _

Rogue shook her head, trying to clear the image that just assaulted her. She was so distracted by what happened that she did not notice she had exited the infirmary. She walked inside the elevator and pushed the button to take her to the girl's wing. Her back slid down against the wall as her head started hurting. She clutched the side of her head and tightly closed her eyes hoping to ease the pain, but it only made it worse.

_She wiped her tears away as she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw the same man that had walked in on her during her cleansing bath. _

_ "A beautiful maiden such as yourself should not be affected by their nonsensical words..."he said gently as he took another step closer to her. She inhaled a breathe and stood tall in his presence, her green eyes turning a shade of grey as she stared indifferently at him. _

_ "I do not need your pity or reassurance, I just suggest you leave before I summon the high priestess and have you punished for trespassing Apollo's threshold." She replied frigidly as she turned her head and started to walk away. He quickly grabs her by the arm which startles and scares her though she refuses to show it. _

_ "I ask for your forgiveness, dear priestess. I did not mean to spy on you as you bathe, but please do not hold such fury against me. I am merely here to see if you were alright after being derided by your fellow maidens." He said as his hold became gentle. She stared at him blankly before casting her eyes at the looming laurel tree. _

_ "I am immune to their words just as I am impervious to time. They are right. I do not age the same way as they all do. By the time I am in my 40__th__, the god of death would have taken them or Chronos would have ravaged their beauty while I would have only age by ten years. It is both a gift and a curse to have the blood of an Olympian god flowing within you." She remarked as the gust of wind played with the branches and leaves of the tree. They both just stood there, neither saying a word to one another. Yet, both contemplating the action that transpired them to speak to each other._

Rogue anxiously woke up, only to realize she was back in her room. _'Odd, I remember being in the elevator a moment ago...'_ she thought suspiciously as she sat up from her own bed. She noticed that Kitty's bed was still made up and assumed that she might have gone out with Jean and the others. She stood up from her bed and walked towards the doors leading to the balcony.

As she stepped out of her room to get some fresh air, she steps on something sharp causing her to jump back in pain. She looks down and sees a single rose lying there under her feet. She kneels down and picks up the flower, noticing that there were still some thorns attached. She sees a note lying below it and reads the message written.

_Chere,_

_ Hope you doin' well and feelin' better. _

_ Yours truly,_

_ Gambit_

Her entire demeanor changed rapidly, '_Stupid swamp rat...' _she thought exasperatedly though she could not bring herself to crumple the piece of paper nor throw away the rose. Instead, she went back inside and placed both the rose and the note in between her mattresses. She walks back to the balcony door to close it, but then sees a figure standing underneath the willow tree. She gasped audibly as she recognized who the figure is. _'How is it possible...?'_ She thought anxiously as she ran out of her room and into the balcony. However, the figure had disappeared without a trace. She tried to clear her mind, only to be startled by the sound a crow cawing.

She saw it perched by the cypress tree not far from her window. It was looking straight at her with its dark eyes and cawing deafeningly though the call seems to be directed at her. She went back to her room and close the balcony doors. Even with the doors closed, she can still hear it cawing at her.

_"You must remember, Kassiopeia. Crows are messengers of Apollo, they foretell omens whenever they caw. If one appears before you and calls out to you, it is warning you of the evil that desires to harm you..."_

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><p><strong>And...done!<br>Wow, it took me a month and a day to finish chapter four...whew!**

**Anyway, I know you can guess who the 'Figure' is right? I wanted this chapter to slightly clarify Rogue's connection to Kassiopeia. **

** The **_**italics**_** are Kassiopeia memories just so you know... If you can piece the entire thing together already then PM me about it. If you still want some suspense then keep it to yourself until others can figure it out.**

**Our dear vampire shall now be exiting during the reign of Alexander the Great. Because during his time, Grecian deities have not yet been Romanized (or where they?) what I meant is that there names are not yet in Roman translation. Anyway, as you have probably noticed. Kassiopeia is Apollo's priestess so we need to make sure to connect the dots, right?**

**I already got this entire thing planned out! I just need to be inspired to update more often...**

**(smirk)**

**Please read and review. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reviewing you guys!**

**By the way, I welcome you're constructive criticisms. If it helps me improve this story, then I shall take it! Just be gentle about it.**

**Failuresnot2try- thank you so much for reading my story! I am humbled by your review and do not worry, I will update as fast as I can...you can't catch me! I'm the gingerbread man! O...kay, thank you for reviewing.**

**Wolf Skater- Oh! I didn't mean to shift it in a confusing way. I'm sorry! Kassiopeia is **_**not**_**, I repeat: NOT a demigod. She's a descendant of one, I'll explain it more later, but thank you for reviewing my story (smiles)!**

**Fannut- That's good! And thank you for reviewing my story even though you were already sleepy. Thank you so much!**

**Robin's Wife- Thank you for reading my story. The spelling? I apologize for the misspelled words. Although, it was my way of mimicking southern accent. I tried, I guess I am not good at it. Oh well! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**(o)**

She stood exasperatedly out in the rain as she waited for her ride to come. After repeatedly practicing the routines for the next football game, they decided to wrap up and go home. _'I should've rode with Alexis...'_ She thought as she wrapped her jacket closer to her. It was eight at night, and she was the only one left in the school. She checks her phone, yet there was still no call from her mom. She cautiously began to walk away from the gym, towards the front office of the school building.

With her phone already in her hand, she used it to illuminate her way. As she continued walking, she began to hear suspicious sounds behind her. She stops to check if there was anyone with her.

"Hello...?" She asks, but no reply came. As a thunder and lightning erupted from the sky, an unknown shadow figure appears by the window next to her. Although as she turns to look at the window, the figure disappears.

She continued walking, though with more haste. Unusual footsteps began to follow her which causes her to start running. She was running blindly that she crashes onto someone.

"Miss, are you alright?" She looks up at the man before her. He has dark hair and eerie burgundy eyes. She was so enraptured that she instead nods her head and sighs in relief.

"Good.." He said coldly as he grabs her by the neck and pulls her closer to him. _"You will not scream nor fight back as I rip your throat out..."_ He stated as he compelled her to keep silent as he sunk his fangs into her jugular. She wanted to scream and push him off, yet she couldn't.

As he drank the last drop of her blood, he snaps her neck which instantly kills her. He then grabs her cell phone, crushes it under his grip and throws it further away. He kneels down to the corpse and lightly touches its face, fire erupting from the inside and out. The body then is burned into ashes as the wind blew its remnants away.

(o)

Rogue sits abruptly in her bed as another nightmare plagues her. This time it was a girl from her Algebra class. The one who sat next to her and is a member of the cheerleading squad. She dreamt that the girl was attacked by a mysterious monster and was killed.

She checks the clock on her bedside table and it read, '2:55 am'. She looks at her roommate sleeping soundly in her bed. She must've dozed off after what happened last night. She can still faintly hear the crow cawing at her, so she shook her head clear and plopped back down on her pillow.

She sighs as she closes her eyes and tries to go back to sleep.

_"Kassiopeia..."_

Her forehead furrowed as she squints her eyes close, still concentrating into going back to sleep.

_"Kassiopeia...help me..."_

She turns to her side, ignoring the sound of whispering in her ear.

_"Kassiopeia...please..let me in.."_

She furiously grabs her pillow and pushes it down on her ear.

_"Let me in..."_

She turns to her side once more, only this time she is facing the balcony door.

_ "Let...Me...In..."_ She sits up once again then gasps audibly as a dark figure loomed in front of the terrace door. Its crimson eyes locking with her emerald ones, entangling her in a deep eerie trance.

"Rogue, are you okay?" Kitty asked worriedly as she awakens her friend from her reverie.

But as soon as she blinked her eyes, the figure was gone. Kitty stood up from her bed and rushes next to her side then pulls the girl into a hug.

"It's okay, Rogue...its just a nightmare." She said as she patted her back. Rogue, still in deep shock, could not register what her roommate was saying. All she knew is that her roommate is hugging her which she hesitantly returns, but then calmly pushes her away.

"I'm fine, Kit. Just go back to sleep..." She said blankly as she withdrew from her roommate's hold.

"Are you sure?" Kitty asked anxiously. She knew Rogue hated feeling weak, and when she does show her weakness, she withdraws herself away from everyone else which makes it difficult to reach her.

"Yeah, kit. Go back to sleep..." Rogue replied coldly as she lies back down on her bed and pulls the blanket over her head. Kitty stayed next to her for a short while before going back to her own bed.

Meanwhile, Rogue stayed awake even after Kitty went back to her own bed. Those eyes she saw earlier were vaguely familiar and the voice was recognizable. It was as if she had seen the eyes and heard the voice before, she just couldn't recall when or where.

(o)

The dawn came and sunlight shone through their window, Rogue remained in bed after Kitty woke her up, even Logan didn't bother her about the missed training session. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. After a while, she exits the bathroom and goes to her closet for a change of clothes.

She wore her purple hooded sweatshirt with black sweat pants and sneakers then goes over to her vanity table to put some make up on. After finishing with her make up, she grabs her gloves and bag then exits her room. As she was making her way to the kitchen, she noticed that the hallways were empty. She enters the kitchen and noticed that it was empty too. Shrugging her shoulders, she makes her way towards the coffee to pour herself a cup. Logan enters from the back door covered in oil and car grease.

"What are ya doing out in bed, stripes?" He gruffly asks as he wiped the grease of his hand with a towel.

"I got school..?"She replied hesitantly as she drank down the coffee in one gulp.

"Ya, I know that but did you forget what happened yesterday at school?" He inquired as he raised his eyebrow at her. Rogue mumbled something under her breathe before sighing dismally.

"Yeah I remember, but I'm fine now so I'm leaving." She grunted as she grabs her bag and an apple then heads out the foyer. However, Logan grabs her arm before she could even head out.

"Hell no, stripes. You are staying home for today and that's final." He stated as he releases his hold on her. "...And don't even try sneaking out. I'm gonna be working in the garage all afternoon."

Rogue sneered at him before heading back to her room. She slams the door shut as she aggravatingly growls in frustration. She plops back down to her bed and sighs in defeat. She closes her eyes for a minute before heading towards the balcony. She opens the doors to stand outside.

(o)

She was basking in the sunlight when he saw her. He smirks playfully at a sudden thought. He knew the Wolverine is nearby, though the man has yet catch him sneaking around. Remy walks back for a couple of feet before running really fast then jumping over the guarded walls of the mansion. _'Too easy..'_ he thought as he chuckled to himself and walks over to the young woman standing in the terrace.

He settled into hiding under the enormous tree a few feet away from her. _'I wonder if chere gets surprised easily?'_ he thought deviously as he began climbing up the tree, swinging and jumping from one branch to another. When he was sure he was close enough, he sets his momentum then jumps towards her railing.

Rogue jumps back to a few feet away from the rails, before realizing who it was who scared her. She snarls angrily at the man before her then tries to punch him in the face. Since Remy was a skilled thief and fighter, his reflexes acted quicker than hers and catches her punch.

"Now...Now, chere. We don't wanna damage the _good_s." He teased which agitates her more. She tries to swing at him again though he ducked away while jumping over the rails and landing him next to her.

"Cherie, is this how you thank people who give you gifts?" He mocked as he used her other arm and twirl her around towards him. She ends up landing on his chest, allowing her to faintly smell tobacco and cinnamon off of him.

"Yes. Now, let me _push you off_ my _balcony_ as _a sign of __**thanks**_!" She growled as she squirmed against his embrace. When he did not let go, she kicked him in the shin which caused him to release her.

"Whoa, Cherie! Remy's sorry. Remy surrenders.." He said holding up his hands in defeat and backing away from her. Rogue heaves a sigh to calm herself while controlling her anger.

"What do you want, Gambit? Aren't ya suppose to be working with Magneto?" She snapped as she crosses her arms on her chest.

"Jus' coz Remy work with the man that ain't mean Remy has to stick with him _all da time_." He answered as he smirked at her. "'Sides, I wanna make sure ya okay. Heard ya weren't feelin' okay yesterday..."

"Gee, where'd ya here that?" She grumbled sarcastically as she rolls her eyes at him and leans against the wall.

"Remy got his sources..."He replied as he leaned on the wall next to her. "So Cherie, wanna show Remy ya room?"

Rogue glared stonily at him before shoving him off away from her. "Look, I don't know what games ya playin', but I'd rather not partake in 'em." She said coldly as she heads back inside her room though before she could, he grabs her sleeved arm and says, "I ain't playing no games, Chere."

Rogue hesitates for a second and clearly whispers, "You're just gonna get hurt..."

She then shrugs off his grasp and walks back inside. Remy stood there dumbfounded, and to some extent, hurt. He sighs, shaking his head in disappointment before jumping back down to the ground. He glances back at her terrace once more then jumps over the mansion walls.

He lands effortlessly to the ground and begins to walk the other way. He collides with someone accidentally as he turns around the corner. He looks at the person, and sees it was the same guy he saw the other day. The one with black hair and burgundy eyes who seem to rival him in good looks.

"_I am so sorry_, monsieur." He apologized once again as he lightly bowed his head at the man.

"It is fine, though I do seem to recall running into you yesterday...was it?" The man replied contemplatively as he tilts his head to the side while looking closely at him.

"Oui, it was me. Again, _I am sorry_. I am not purposely doing it or anythin', though its like fate is causing us to bump into one another for a reason..." Remy grumbled awkwardly, combing his fingers to his hair. He was starting to feel uncomfortable again especially with this man. There is something ominous about him that he just couldn't identify.

"So it would appear..." The man answered as he smirked inexplicably. Remy tried to fight the urge to shudder, so he smiled pleasantly and said, "Well, I apologize once more, sir."

He then hurriedly walks away from the man before him. There was something unpleasant about the guy. Remy tried to use his empathy at him, yet his efforts were blocked by an unknown force. He cleared his head and continued walking back to where he had parked his motorcycle.

Gabriele stared ponderingly at him, a bitter smile forming in his face. _'Well, it seems Kassiopeia isn't the only one that was granted a chance of reincarnation.'_ He thought indignantly as he continued walking then stops in front of the institute gates. _'No matter what obstacle stands in my way, I shall obliterate it.'_

"It is only a matter of time before I have you by my side again, Kassiopeia..."

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><p><strong>Thank you once again for reading this story! Please read and review.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six? What? Yay!**

**Thank you so much for following my story! You guys are the best!**

**HoshiAkari59: ****I'm sorry for making you wait (sad face)! I hope your still reading. Thank you for reviewing!**

**Fannut:**** Thank you for your help! I didn't recognize it until you pointed it out, thank you so much. **

**IvyHearts:**** Thank you for reading! Rogue will meet Gabriele soon (wink), I promise.**

**Robin's Wife:**** Thank you so much! That's what I was aiming for when I am writing this story. To give my readers a picture in their head while reading. I am very grateful that I inspired you to read X-men more. Thank you!**

**Failuresnot2try: ****I am not sure, but I don't think its illegal (grins). Thank you for reading! And don't worry, this story will skip to the part where everyone comes back home from school LOL.**

**Wolf skater:**** I am so sorry for confusing you, I didn't really mean to. Although, thank you for reviewing. I didn't mean to scare you with the first line either. I'm really sorry and I hope you continue reading.**

**Author's notes:**

** I apologize for updating late, I was busy with essays, midterms and speeches. Please forgive me. I will try to update as soon as possible.**

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><p><em>The white Grecian temple loomed over him as he stood at its entrance. He did not know why, but he suddenly felt a heavy weight pushing down on his chest. He slowly entered the temple, as if an unknown force was pulling him in.<em>

_ As he walked along the great hall, he noticed the pure onyx columns that supported the high ceiling, the smell of ambrosia and other herbs, and the golden deities that stood in between the columns. He stopped in front of the altar, and saw a young woman laying on the stone slab. _

_ He was ghastly horrified by the scene before him, blood was spilled all over the altar and there was a gaping hole on the young woman's chest. Remy backed a feet away, though when he saw the girl's face, he was more mortified than before. He quickly rushed to the young woman and cradled her head in his hands._

_ "Rogue..." He muttered under his breath as he touched her bloodstained cheek. He pulled her limp body off the altar, carried her in his arms. He pulled her closer to him as tears fell from his demonic eyes. _

_ "No...no...no..."he mumbled as he rocked back and forth, still embracing her lifeless body. He hated this nightmare, it was much worse than the ones about the experiments he went through._

_ Remy was completely overwhelmed by his grief that he did not see the shadow of a figure standing behind him. In a blink of an eye, he was thrown against one of the onyx columns that stood further away from the altar while the young woman's body was carelessly tossed to the side. He groaned and coughed up blood as he slowly stood up. Suddenly, fingers were wrapped around his throat and he felt himself being lifted up from the ground._

_ "You shouldn't be here..." the figure before him uttered with absolute hatred. He tried to talk back, but he couldn't even breathe. He struggled against the figure's hold, though it was useless. He gave quick glance at the young woman's body, before turning his attention back to the unknown figure._

_ "It's all_ your _fault." The figure ground out as its face emerged from the shadows, completely surprising Remy. It was the man he saw the other day, although his appearance is wholly different. This man before him could be describe as a monster, with his sharp incisors slowly protruding through his lips and his blood red eyes gleaming with malice. Remy could not remember when he had ever felt this kind of fear before. _

_ "Goodbye, Makarius..." the man said as he leaned his head back, quickly piercing his fangs onto Remy's neck and ripping his jugular apart, slowly engulf Remy in darkness. _

"'Ey mate, you alright?" a voice inquired beside him as he was startled awake from his sleep. He looked up and saw his pyromaniac friend sitting next to him. He barely registered what he had asked, still unnerved from the nightmare he just had.

"What time is it?" He asked as he sat up from the couch, and turned the TV up.

"Uhh...it's eight, mate. You've slept pass dinner already. Don't worry, Colossus cooked the food since stupid Buckethead still band me from the kitchen. You accidentally burn down half of the kitchen and suddenly, you are banned for _even _entering it. That kitchen is made up of steel for Christ's sakes! I tell ya, Ol' bucketbutt is just grouchy ever since his plan failed, ya know?" his friend rambled as he sorted out his thoughts.

"A series of people have been reported missing here , and the Police department are currently working on solving these cases. A recent report of a missing person was Rebecca Michaels, age 17 and attends Bayville High School..."

A photo of a young woman appears on the TV, catching Remy's attention. _'She goes to the same school as Rogue...'_ He thought as he blocked out his friend and paid close attention to the photo of the girl. _'I gotta check on chere, see if she's alright.'_ he asked himself still frightened about what happened. He abruptly stood up from the couch, grabbing his trench coat from the arm rest.

"Just tell Magneto the usual, 'kay John?" He said as he headed out of the base.

"Sure thing, mate!" John replied as he giddily jumped down the couch, and changed the channel.

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><p>Meanwhile in New Orleans, a middle-aged man passes through the crowd and into a bar called, 'Sinners'. It was packed as he entered the establishment. He sighed while he took off his worn out trench coat. He looked around, while searching for someone amongst the mass of people. His gaze stops by the window, where a young man with silver blonde hair and blue eyes sat quietly while drinking a glass of bourbon.<p>

He silently approached the man, though before he could sneak up on him. The young man turned towards him, his blue eyes shifting to red.

"Jean-Luc, _what a pleasant surprise_, and here I thought you did not want anything to do with _us_." The man asked icily as he twirled his glass around before taking a small sip of it.

"Some people I knew came down here days ago, lookin' for something. I ain't sure what it is though, but I know damn well its connected to ya and ya kind." Remy's father answered haughtily as he grabbed a chair, and sat across from him. The man's lips slightly tilted upward while his blue eyes completely shifted to red.

"_My kind...?_ How rude. I can easily rip your throat out and bleed you dry, you know." The man asked nonchalantly as he looked out of the window to see a group of young woman entering a club across the street.

"I know, Aleksey. Though, I'm sure as hell ya ain't gonna do it." Jean-Luc replied defiantly as he gave the not-so old vampire a stony glare. The vampire only laughed at him which caught the attention of some of the patrons.

"Always the bold one!" The vampire exclaimed, downing the entire glass in a single gulp. "I can assure you there are no fledglings running around here. _My coven_ made sure to eliminate all those who kill any of the locals. Just as the treaty had decreed."

"I am just makin' sure." Jean-Luc said grimly as he stood up from his seat, "Was it you who killed the Rippers?"

For a moment there was a silence, neither man said anything. Aleksey sighed sullenly as he fiddled with the folded napkin beside his hand.

"No, it was not me." He answered hesitantly. "It was _He _who created me."

Jean-Luc nodded in understanding before disappearing amongst the crowd of people, leaving the old vampire to ponder.

* * *

><p>Remy parks his bike right around the corner of the institute. He removes his helmet and places it on his motorcycle. He looks around then effortlessly climbs the mansion walls. He soundlessly jumps down to the ground before heading towards Rogue's balcony. He goes up to the tree once again, swinging from one branch to another. He soars towards the rails, managing to grab onto them. While pulling himself up, he comes face to face with a very annoyed looking Rogue.<p>

They locked eyes for a moment before one of them breaks the contact. Rogue leans against the door of the balcony, rolling her eyes at the grinning Cajun.

"If this is your own rendition of Romeo and Juliet, I should remind you that _Romeo threw rocks first __**before**__ climbing up to Juliet's balcony _unlike some low life thief that I know of." She spited as she glares indifferently at him.

"...So Cherie thinks Remy is her _Romeo_?"Remy asked coyly as he walked closer to her. Rogue breathe hitched at that moment, not being able to think of a comeback. Then, she pushes him vehemently away from her.

"As if! I'd rather throw ma'self over a cliff than be with a thieving swamp rat like ya." She scoffed as she sneered at him.

"Damn girl, take it easy." Remy replied as he leaned against the rails, " Remy ain't that bad once ya get to know him."

"Right...Like that's gonna happen." Rogue stated sardonically as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, ya came out here to talk to Remy." Remy pointed out while flashing her a wide smile.

"That's 'cause I saw ya shadow from behind the curtain, ya moron." Rogue snapped at him as she tried to keep herself from smiling back at him. " 'Sides, what do ya want?"

"I was just gonna check on, chere. I heard what happened to one of ya classmates." Remy replied with a worried tone which slightly surprised Rogue. She sighed resignedly, and looked at him with a half-hearted smile.

Remy, for the most part, was caught off guard. Although, he regained his composure afterwards, and just looked deeply in her eyes. Rogue turned away, and tried to hide away the blush that crept on her face.

"T-Thanks, Swamp rat." Rogue muttered gratefully, still avoiding his gaze. "But as you can see, I'm fine. I already heard what happened from Kitty."

"Good." He replied gladly as he flashed his smile at her once more. The two of them stood there in silence, though there was no awkwardness or uneasiness in between.

"Rogue? Rogue? Where are you? The movie is starting..." Kitty called out from the inside of their room.

"Damn, ya gotta go, Swamp Rat." Rogue said in a slight troubled voice as she pushes herself of the wall. Meanwhile, Remy's grin got wider as Rogue walked closer to him and started pushing him.

"Don't worry, cheríe, Remy's goin'." He replied contentedly as he climbed up to the rails, then jumping to the tree branch closer to him.

He began to climb down, and as he reached the ground, he looked back at her while she looked back at him. They stared at each other for a while, before Rogue hears Kitty's voice calling her name once again. She turns around to go open the door while he glances back at her retreating form before running up to the wall, and jumping on the other side. She stops by the door, then turns back around to see him hopping over the wall. She begins to feel a sense of loneliness which confused her greatly.

"Rogue, are you okay?" Kitty asked worriedly as the girl walked up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rogue mumbled dazedly as she closed the door behind her. Kitty eyed her roommate anxiously before shrugging her shoulders.

"Good, cause the movie is starting!" Kitty said excitedly as she pulled her roommate out of there room.

However, as the two girls exited their room, a known figure appears by the balcony door with an intense anger in its eyes. _'You will not have __**her**__, Makarius. I __**swear**__ it!"_

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><p><strong>And...DONE!<strong>

**(sigh) this chapter was hard to write! I swear I had to continuously keep myself writing/editing this so it will make sense!**

**This chapter is somewhat paralleled to chapter four. The dream sequence here is sort of the same with a little twist. I love twisting the plot! Its fun!**

**Anyway, if you have any questions about this chapter or just confused to hell, review it. I'll try to explain as much as I can without revealing so much. **

**Since everyone was so nice to my story, I will give this as a freebie:**

_**"Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you."**_

_** "It is fine, my dear. No harm, no foul."**_

_** "Thanks, and again, I am **_**very**_** sorry."**_

_** "Its no problem, my name is Gabriele by the way..."**_

**Who did Gabriele meet? You decide! Though one rule: He cannot meet Rogue **_**yet.**_** So choose from this women: Kitty, Jean or Storm?**

**Again, Thanks for reading, adding and review my story!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello Readers, **

** I am very sorry if I took too long in updating. Please forgive this humble writer (cowers in fear). For now, I will skip this part of the introduction, because I know you feel bloodthirsty and murderous (gulps). **

**Here is Chapter 7**

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><p>She walked steadily towards the parking lot, while listening to her IPod. The sun had set hours ago and the lot is vacant. She was in a rush this morning that she just parked at the far back next to the old gym. Suddenly, she feels scared as if something was following her. She refuses to turn around and began to walk briskly to her spot. However, the feeling did not cease and she starts running. She reaches her car and fumbles inside her bag for her keys.<p>

She finally finds her keys, but then her bag spills all her belongings to the ground. She kneels down and quickly tries to stuff all her things. A shadow looms beside her, quickly scaring her.

"P-p-please…don't hurt me…" She mumbles as she pulls her bag to herself and sits beside her car.

"Calm down…" a voice replies back to her softly, and she realizes that the shadow before her was of a handsome man. She looks up and is immediately enthralled by his looks, unaware of the danger she was in.

"Oh! I thought you were going to-" Her words were cut off when he grabbed her by the neck. The man ignored her sputtering and pulls her closer to his level.

"You are now unable to speak." He commands as he stares directly into her eyes and compels her to be quiet. Unable to scream for help, she closes her eyes as he viciously bites her neck and drinks her blood. After drinking every drop, he discards her dead body to the ground and begins to walk away. As he disappears back into the shadows, the girl's body burst into flames burning everything in sight.

Rogue tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. She turns once more and sees her roommate snoring lightly in her bed. She sighs before pushing the covers off and standing up. She grabs her black hoodie and carefully exits the room. She silently makes her way through the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and sitting down by the counter.

"Can't sleep too?" Logan asks as he entered the kitchen without her notice. She was slightly startled before relaxing once again in her seat.

"Yeah, my dreams are getting too vivid for mah liking." She mutters as she starts ripping the label off the bottle.

"Want to talk about it?" Logan replies as he grabs a beer from his secret stash, pops it open and drinks it. Rogue is silent for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Look, kid. It ain't good to keep things bottled up inside, it'll drive you nuts quicker. Trust me, I've been there." He said as he pats her on the head while finishing his beer. "Just remember, you have an early danger room session tomorrow and since you missed yesterday's session, you'll be in Scott's team."

"Ugh! Can't you give me mah own team instead? Scott is more uptight in the morning." She complained as she glared at his retreating figure. He shook his head and scoffs, before leaving her alone again. Not long after he left, she grabbed the water bottle and headed back up to her room.

* * *

><p>Henri was still curious about his father's reaction, so he goes to the front porch to talk to the one person his father had always confided to. She was sitting in her rocking chair, calmly reading a book.<p>

"Do ya need anything, child?" Tante Mattie asked as she dog-eared the page she was reading and closed the book.

"Tante, père been acting weird lately. Ever since, I told him about what happened to the Reapers." Henri replied as he sits down next to her.

"What happened to dem reapers?" She inquires as she turns to look at him.

"They snuck inside one of dem old mausoleums that are under the protection of our guild, ya know those ones. Yet, they never came back out and the oddest thing about it was screams were heard, before it got all silent again." Henri explained to her as he squirmed under her gaze. She shakes her head and leans back to her seat.

"They might've come across an old corpse and ran out of there." She suggested as she closes her eyes and relaxed.

"But…the lookout said they never ran out. I even got Etienne check it out and-"

"Now, listen carefully Henri. I don't want any of ya or ya cousins going over to that place, ya hear? Dat part of the cemetery ain't safe for nobody. Ya'll stay away from there, alright?" Tante scolded as she turned to glare at him.

"A-Alright, I just wanted to make sure that the lookout ain't lying to us." He replied as he was startled by the sudden outburst of the woman. Her gaze softened and smiled halfheartedly at him.

"I don't care about dem reapers. I need ya to promise me that none of ya are going back there ever again." She reasoned as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Henri was confused, but nodded nonetheless.

"I think I'm gonna go check on Merci, see if she's alright." Henri said as he stood up from his seat.

"Alright, go on ahead. She was looking for ya earlier anyway." She answered as she relaxed in her seat once more.

He gave a curt nod and went back inside. Tante Mattie sighed in defeat and continued to rock her chair. Jean-Luc slowly walks up to the porch and sees the distressed woman.

"What's the matter, Mattie? Did dem boys give you more trouble again?" He asked lightheartedly as he sat down next to her.

"Non…Non…they didn't. Though, I am worried that Henri might be getting suspicious about the pact." She answered as she looked at him worriedly, "He told me about what happen to the Reapers. Did you talk to Aleksey?"

"Yeah, I did. He says it wasn't any of his coven or strays that killed those bastards. It was the man who created their damned kind." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on his chair.

"Oh mah Lord, where is that _demon_ now?" She asked fearfully as she instantly sat up in her seat.

"He says he doesn't know, but I know he is lying." He replied, "Please don't let any of my sons know anything about this. Aleksey still upholds his oath and that's all that matters."

"Jean-Luc, his oath won't matter if his master is awake now. Ya need to tell them sooner or later before it's too late." She reasoned, "If only I was as strong as mah mother, I would be able to protect ya'll from dem monsters."

"It is fine and I can't tell them yet. I don't want to pass the burden to them, and put them in danger." He answered as he smiled tiredly at her. "I don't want what happened to Ororo to happen to dem too."

"It ain't ya fault for what happened to her, and it was necessary for her to be safe." She said comfortingly, "Aleksey had to take away her memories, or else she'll be in more grave danger."

"I don't think it's fair for her to forget…" He said solemnly as he sighs in defeat.

"I don't either, but it was the only way…" She consoled as she smiled at him, patting his shoulders.

"Thanks, Tante Mattie. I really appreciate your help." He said as he stood up from his seat and headed towards the door. She merely nods at him and smiled idly at him as he entered the house.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the entire mansion was in a rush. Everyone just finished the early danger room session. Some of the students were already in the kitchen making breakfast, while others were still changing their clothes.<p>

"Hey Jean, aren't you visiting universities today?" Bobby asked as he used his powers to put ice cubes in the pitcher of juice. Amara and Rayne recoiled in disgust as they decided to grab water bottles instead.

"Yeah, Storm, Kitty and Scott are going too. Why?" She replied as she levitated a plate of bacon and sausages on the counter.

"Can I come with you guys?" Bobby inquired as he grabbed a piece of bacon and toast. Ray, Roberto and Jamie rushed in to grab their plates to get some food.

"No, _you_ need to go to school." Ororo reprimanded as she gave the young man a scolding look. She took a cup from the cupboard and poured herself coffee.

"Wait, why is Kitty going? She's a junior!?" Roberto argued as he stole Ray's toast while he is talking to Jubilee.

"Because…_I_ want to know the requirements to attend some of the top-notch universities here in New York." Kitty answered as she finished her cereal and placed the bowl in the sink. Rogue walks in looking tired and languidly walks to one of the cabinets to grab some granola bars.

"Rogue, do you want to come with us today?" Jean asked sincerely as she put her plate in the sink as well.

"I don't think so, I missed some classes yesterday and I need to catch up." Rogue answered nonchalantly as she took another granola bar and walked out. Jean sighed and began to clean the plates in the sink.

"Don't worry too much about it, Jean. Rogue is just having a hard time right now, just give her space." Kitty said reassuringly as she helped her clean the dishes. The others had finished eating and were now leaving to go to school.

After they finished washing the dishes and put them back in the cabinets, both girls grabbed their bags and headed towards the garage to meet up with Ororo and Scott who were already in her silver Mercedes. Once both of them entered her car, Storm started the engine and drove off.

"Ooh...which university are we going to?" Kitty asked excitedly as she lightly bounced in her seat.

"There is an open house in Syracuse (1) today, what do you two think?" Ororo inquired as she entered the freeway.

"I think that is a good idea, right Scott?" Jean replied as she turned to the older boy sitting in the passenger seat. Scott merely nodded, as he stared out of the window.

The two girls chatted, while Scott stared out the window. Ororo gave him a quick glance and smiled serenely.

"You seem uninterested, Scott. Don't you want to go to college?" She asked innocently as she looked at her rear view mirror to see if the two girls heard her. They did not seem to give any indication as they continued to talk about the majors they are planning to take.

"I do..." He answered before sighing humbly, "It's just…mutants are not really well-accepted right now and it seems harder for us to get into college. I just…don't want to…get my hopes up I guess."

"Scott, don't feel too discourage about the situation. People will learn to accept mutants eventually." Ororo replied contentedly as she smiled at the young man. "Even if they shun you, it shouldn't dampen your desire to get a degree."

"Thanks, Storm." Scott answered as he smiled back at her. _'Don't worry, Scott. I won't leave you; we're in this together...'_ Jean said telepathically as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

It was not long until they reached the university. The parking lot was almost full and there was a huge crowd of people by the main entrance. Ororo managed to find a parking spot and four of them got out of the car. Student-volunteers handed out maps and event pamphlets to everyone as they ushered the future undergraduate students to the main entrance.

"Wow, I didn't know there'll be a lot of people for this stuff…" Kitty remarked lightly as she stuck close to Scott who stood next to her.

"It's open house, Kitty. Everyone is here to check out the university and its facilities." Jean replied as she opened up the map that was given to them. "There will be a faculty member speaking today, but I don't know where this hall is."

"I think its pointing in that building over there…" Ororo answered as the three of them followed the weather witch. However, she disappeared in the crowd and they lost her.

"Don't panic, I'll just tell her to meet us up outside by the fountain we saw earlier." Jean said assuredly as the three of them walked around the campus.

"How do you know she'll be able to find us?" Scott asked skeptically as they bypassed huge crowd of people going the opposite way.

"She has her own map, so relax." Jean replied as they made their way to the club tables.

"You got to admit, this place is very festive." Kitty stated as a student offered her cupcakes.

"Yeah, until they find out we're mutants…" Scott grumbled as he followed both girls into another table. Jean glared at him lightly while Kitty rolled her eyes at him. He just shrugged and continued to follow the two.

As Jean finished looking at a table with some beautifully designed stained glasses, she bumps into someone next to her who was about to leave too.

"Oh! I am so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you!" She apologized immediately as she looked at the person she ran into. He looked very handsome with his black hair with a hint of blue; his darkish maroon eyes, and his flawless youthful face that seem to look like porcelain. He smiled sweetly at her which took her breath away.

"It is fine, my dear. No harm, no foul." He answered lightheartedly as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Thanks, and again, I am _really_ sorry…" She said once more as she tries to keep herself from blushing.

"It's no problem. These kinds of events tend to be very crowded anyway. My name is Gabriele by the way…" He replied extending his hand towards her. Jean was about to shake his hand when Scott came up to her.

"Jean, we found Ororo already." He said as he lightly grabbed her arm. Jean was shaken out of her daze and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Gabriele but we need to meet up with a friend of ours. My name is Jean as you've heard and it was nice to meet you. Again, I am really sorry." She said as she and Scott went over to where Kitty was standing and quickly met up with the weather witch.

"It was no problem…" He mumbled quietly as his eyes flashed red and he smirked darkly passing through a crowd and exiting to the back of entrance without notice.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter seemed rushed, doesn't it? <strong>

**Well, it is the trickiest I have ever written and I am counting Chapters four, five and six. This is the hardest one, because I am trying to correlate a lot of things together. It is also difficult to stay away from the Remy and Rogue scenes. I want this chapter to focus on other characters too.**

**I said MEET not GET-TO-KNOW-THEM, so our resident vamp met one of the X-men. What do you think? Should I write another scene where he meets someone else this time? Well, I do plan to do that and lead up to him meeting Rogue. **

**I took a little break from the nightmare scenes, I want to focus on the women that Gabriele murders and his short interaction with them. **

** Again, I am really sorry for the late update. I almost lost my muse, but she came back temporarily of course. Do not worry! I will never abandon this story. I love the plot I already set up and the mythology I created on it. **

**I have never been to Syracuse University, so I am not sure how the campus is structured or what. Please forgive me on this one too…**

**Next time! We have a flashback chapter…actually a couple of flashback chapters before we can move on. Just two of them, then onto the plot! **

**Another Freebie: Gabriele meets Agatha Harkness, the resident mutant witch. I wonder what he needs…. Well, you do. I don't. **

**Anyway, thank you so much for following and reading my story. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** Thank you for continuously reading my story! Here's another (rushed) chapter that I hoped make sense. Without further ado, here's chapter 8!

**By the way, I am making it look like Agatha has been mentoring the Scarlet Witch throughout the series. However, she might have been and I was not really paying attention. **

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><p>She was panting heavily as she fell to her knees. She clenched her fist in pain as a wall of fire blocked her path and surrounded her, while a figure stood beyond the flames.<p>

"You are not trying, Wanda. You are giving up easily…"the figure said frigidly as she struggled to her feet. Sweat was starting to trickle down her face because of the intense heat.

"I-I-I…am…t-trying!" Wanda muttered agonizingly as she dug her hands on the dirt. "Please…make it stop…_please…_" She looked up at the figure before her. The older woman ignored her pleas and continued to manipulate the flames, making them creep closer to her.

"Use your powers, Wanda." The woman instructed as she simply waved her hand and made the flames grow larger. "You're letting _it_ overwhelm you."

"Argh…!" Wanda yelled, the fire roared loudly around her before an unknown force pushes it back and extinguishes it.

"Good, we'll continue this tomorrow." The woman stated coolly as she dismissed the young woman away. Wanda sighed disappointedly as she began walking back to the brotherhood house.

"Cease hiding from the shadows, and reveal yourself." The woman remarked as she turned her gaze towards the forest behind her.

"My…my…Agatha, you haven't changed." A man appears from beyond the forest. He was leaning beside a tree, his arms crossed against his chest. His red-violet eyes gleamed darkly at her.

"It is good to see you too, _Athanasius…"_ She replied coldly as she smirked at him. The young man sneered at the name, his fangs protruding through his lips but shrugged it off.

"It has been centuries since I was called by that name, I go by 'Gabriele' now." Gabriele answered smoothly as he walked closer to her. A wall of fire blazes in front of him, stopping him from his tracks. "The last time I saw you, you were serving as one of the Vestal virgins. How have you been all this time?"

"What do you need exactly?" Agatha questioned venomously as she ignored his remark. The wind began to blow fiercely, while the trees whipped harshly around them.

"_Calm down_, Agatha." He chided as he heave a sigh, while she subdued the wind with a mere wave of her hand, "I am not here to fight you…"

"How can you, when I can _easily_ defeat you…" She retorted which angered the vampire. He snarled viciously and sped towards her, only to be thrown back by an invisible barrier. "Do not waste my time, Athanasius. What do you need?"

"Like I said I am not here to _fight_ you…" He spat as he quickly stood up and dusted himself, "Though I wonder why you _try_ to pretend to be one these, what do they call themselves, Mutants…? You're not even _one of them…_"

"It is none of your concern, Athanasius." Agatha answered distantly, while dismissing the fire that blazed before her. She turns around and begins to walk towards the brotherhood house, "If you are here to waste my time, then I suggest you _leave_."

"I **am** here to ask you a favor, one that will repay **all** your debts to me." Gabriele remarked icily as he sneered at her dismissive nature. She stops for a moment before looking indifferently at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I have found her, Agatha. And I need you to do a ritual for me when the time comes." He said evenly as he stared right back at her. Her lips thinned and her eyes grew colder, she was well aware of the person he was talking about.

"It has been _**thousands of years**_ already, Athanasius. Don't you think it is time for her to be put to rest?" She questioned as her cold gaze softened a little.

"I _have_ put her to rest many centuries ago…" He sneered viciously as he glared at her, "But now, she returned and I will do whatever it takes for us to be together. All I ask of you is to do the _ritual."_

Agatha shook her head and sighed, she knew he would not relent. "Very well then, I will do it." She agreed dismally, "Although, I wish to know _who_ Kassiopeia is now…"

"Oh, you _will_ know…soon..." He scoffed as he smirked wickedly and began to leave through the forest. Agatha glared at his retreating form, unable to stop herself from feeling resentful. She needed to find the girl and warn her before it is too late. _'If Athanasius has already found her, then it is only a matter of time before he turns her…'_ She thought anxiously as she walks back to the rundown house.

_At the mansion_

Everyone just got back and they were all gathered at the Rec room. The girls (minus Rogue who was in her room) talked to Kitty and Jean about their visit to various universities, since the boys were either fighting over the game console or watching the others play.

"So did you meet any **hot** college guys?" Tabitha asked eagerly as the other girls agreed with her. Kitty shook her head and laughed, while Jean blushed. Amara gasped in surprise and pointed at the older teen.

"Ooh! I think Jean did!" Amara exclaimed as they all crowded around her. Kurt, Bobby and Ray, who sat next to her on the couch, were rudely pushed off by the girls. They sneered at them and decided to sit on the floor.

"I accidentally ran into this guy at Syracuse just as I was leaving…I did apologize afterwards, but he just smiled and waved it off." Jean answered shyly as the girls giggled at her reaction. The guys rolled their eyes and ignored their incessant questioning.

"Wow! Was he hot?"

"Was he cute?"

"Is he single?"

"What color were his eyes?"

"Did he have a nice body?"

"Tabitha! How is Jean going to know about that?" Amara chastised as she looked skeptically at her friend.

"Through his t-shirt…!" Tabitha pointed out as she rolled her eyes and continued her inquisition. Scott, who sat not far from them, sighed annoyingly and decided to head back to his room instead.

"Look, you guys need to calm down!" Jean stated as she moved away from the girls and sat where Scott was before, "He was good-looking, and I have to admit. However, I do not know since we didn't talk that much."

The other girls groaned while the remaining guys sighed exasperatingly as they continue to ignore them.

"You girls need to do your homework now; dinner will be ready in an hour." Ororo indicated as the girls groaned once more before going to their rooms. "You boys need to do the same too."

The boys grumbled as Roberto turned off the game and they all walked back to their respective rooms.

Rogue was sitting by her open window as she read her favorite book. She felt so relaxed that even her psyches are quiet. She leans her head by the window frame and not long afterwards, she falls asleep.

_She walked beside the other girls in the procession, a crown of laurel sits on top of her head. She wore a white tunic with gold bands around her waist, and leather sandals adorned her feet. Her mother had removed her braids and instead let her wavy hair flow down to her back. She looked beautiful, her mother said. Though, she did not care what she looked like. _

_The procession is for her patron god and progenitor, Apollo. The oracle of Delphi had invited her family to attend this celebration. They did not hesitate for a minute and it was not long until they were sailing towards the mainland. _

_People gathered around the streets were tossing flower petals and grains at them. From behind the procession was the sacrificial bull, dedicated to the god of prophecy and healing. They were nearing the temple where the ceremony is conducted. _

_As she looked to the right side of the temple, she noticed that soldiers and high-ranking officer had gathered there. However, she sees two soldiers standing next to each other. The first one had hair like hers, but his was lighter; he had brown eyes and tan skin. He has a playful smile, yet kind-looking eyes. She couldn't help, but blush as her group walked up the steps. The second man had black hair with a bluish tint, his eyes were also brown yet darker and his skin was slightly lighter. He had an air of charisma around him, she could tell. She can't seem to look away, and as she was about to, he gazes right back at her. Her eyes widened in surprise then look away, a blush was starting appear on her face. _

_She shyly looks down and proceeds to enter the temple. She turns her head to look back, but the crowd is already gathering by the archway and she can no longer see them. _

"Remy, comrade, wake up. Magneto wants to speak to you…" Piotr said as he lightly shook his sleeping friend. Remy groaned and sat up on the couch, he stretched his arms before standing up completely.

"What does ol' buckethead need now?" He grumbled, Piotr shrugged and walked back to his room. Remy groaned once more, then proceeded to walk towards his boss' office. He knocks on the solid metal wall and the wall split open, revealing a room surrounded by computers and other sorts of technology.

"Gambit, I need you to infiltrate another government building and hack into their system." Magneto ordered as he turned around and handed the young man a flash drive. "Download all the files on the mutant containment program that the government plans to set up, and all the other military documents that is closely connected to it."

"Yes sir…" Remy replied tightly as he walked out of Magneto's office. He rolled his eyes and proceeded to go to his room to pick up his cards and staff. On his way there, pain erupts in his head and he leans back on the wall.

_The two teenagers each held swords and shields, ready to fight one another. _

_"Now remember, this is merely a _spar._No killing each other, alright?" The man in the toga instructed as both boys nodded, "Well then, begin!" _

_Both boys circled each other, waiting for the other to attack. He held his sword tightly as he saw his brother sprang into action. He blocked his brother's sword with his shield and pushed him back a few feet._

_"Makarius don't just stand there! Fight back!" The man yelled angrily as his brother jumped back up and tried to slash his right arm. He blocked it with his shield again and took his chance to kick his brother in the stomach. The younger boy recoiled in pain, but continued to push himself back up._

_He used this chance to attack, raising his sword just as his brother approaches. However, his brother blocked him which put them in a deadlock._

_"Makarius, why are you holding back?" His brother asked frustratingly as he tried to push his older brother. _

_"I don't want to hurt you, Athanasius…" He answered worriedly as he used his shield to hit his brother, but he dodged it. His brother rolled on the ground and jumped back up, he then charged at his older brother once more._

_Makarius wanting to end the duel puts his shield forward and awaits the impact. Both shields collided, but Makarius uses his leg to sweep his brother off his which causes the younger boy to fall. He then points his sword at his throat. _

_"Yield, Athanasius…" He ordered as his brother nodded in defeat. He tosses the weapons aside and holds out his hand. His younger brother smiles at him and grabs his hand as he pulled him upwards._

"Remy, you alright mate?" Pyro inquired as he tapped his friend's shoulders. He nodded slowly before pushing himself off the wall.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I have to go though, I'll see ya later…" He replied as he struggled to walk towards his room. _'Where the hell did that memory come from…?'_ He thought as he grabbed his cards and his staff by the drawer then headed out. He swung out his window and landed in all fours next to his motorcycle. He hops on his bike and revs it up before leaving the compound.

"Rogue, dinner's ready…!" Kitty said ecstatically as she walked in the room, and noticed that her friend was asleep by the window. She placed her books down by the foot of her bed, and then grabs her friend's blanket. She walks up to the sleeping girl, and places it on top of her. She smiled serenely and walks back out of the room.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure of man stood by the trees below. He stared yearningly at the sleeping girl. He slowly marched below her window, and effortlessly jumps towards it. He sits by the window, and lightly runs his hand on her hair. _'No one will ever understand the sacrifice _you_ made_…_I will never lose you again…'_ He thought as he began to feel a painful tingling in his hand. He growled in anger which gradually awakened the girl.

Rogue yawned and stretched her arms, and then she realized that someone had put a blanket on her. She stands up from her chair, and grabs her blanket then throws towards at her bed. As she was about leave her room, she turns back to her window and stood there for a moment. She stared at the forest and sees someone standing behind one of the trees. Just as she blinks her eyes to see the thing clearly, it disappeared. She breathed wearily before leaving her room.

Gabriele stood behind the tree, panting resignedly. The pain has yet to subside, but he managed to regain the feeling back into his hand. He blurred away from the mansion and ended up in front of its walls. Just as he was about to leave, he sees a burly man riding a motorcycle stops in front of the gate and talking at the intercom.

"Hey Scott, opened the gates will ya?" The man asks gruffly as the gates slowly opened. Right before Logan enters the mansion, he begins to smell blood in the air. He turns to his left and sees a young man crossing the street. Logan sniffs the air once more, and confirms that the scent is actually blood. He growls silently and proceeds to drive inside the mansion.

Meanwhile, Gabriele looks at the closing gate and glares venomously at it. He heard the man's growl, but thought nothing of it. He then disappears into the night in search for another prey.

**Done! I managed to write this before I completely lose my inspiration. **

**There are a lot of confusions, I know. **_**Athanasius**_**IS Gabriele, he just changed his name to conform to the time and yes, he had a brother. Remy is Makarius' reincarnation, I already gave you enough clues, just keep reading and I will eventually explain everything. **

**I did say this will be a flashback chapter, but I thought against it. It won't be as interesting to read if this entire chapter contained entirely of flashbacks. Besides, I'd rather combine it with Rogue and Remy's memories instead. **

**It's up to you guys to piece the puzzle! Isn't that fun?**

**I know some of you are wondering, **_**"When Logan sniffed the air and smelled blood, did he realize that the scent came from Gabriele, and how so?"**_

**Well, I was unsure what Gabriele's scent is. Frankly, I was thinking a mixture of death and blood, but it's too cliché. So to create some suspicion around our resident vampire, I made him smell like blood. **

**Yes, he did realize that it was coming from Gabriele. However, the scent is faint since they were outside and there were many scents around them. It managed to hide Gabriele's scent, though unsuccessfully of course. **

**What was this ritual our vampire spoke of? And why does Agatha have to do it? How old is Agatha exactly?! From what I could recall from my history class, Vestal virgins existed right around the Rise of Rome, so a thousand years or so. Damn, she is THAT powerful!**

**Will the memories ever end? Nope. If they did then, the story might not be able to pieced together (laughs). **

**Anyway, thank you for all of those who continued to read and follow my story. I am trying my best, and I hope it's enough. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. **

**Please read and Review! **


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